Doc: Djokovic lacked motivation in W&S Open final

Serbian star's first-set no-show disappoints

Aug. 20, 2012

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Novak Djokovic won just 10 points in the first set of Sunday's final against Roger Federer. / The Enquirer/Amanda Davidson

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MASON – Novak Djokovic showed up 20 minutes late to the Western and Southern Open final here Sunday. By the time he arrived, the guy calling himself Novak Djokovic had lost the first set to Roger Federer. We don’t know who that Djokovic was.

It couldn’t have been Novak. Novak has five Grand Slam titles, including three last year, in one of the best years a tennis player has ever had. Novak is the No. 2-ranked player in the world, 25 years old and in the prime of his tennis life.

Maybe it was Fred Djokovic of Bayonne, N.J. or Ralph Djokovic, or Ralph Kramden, re-inventing himself. It wasn’t Novak. Novak wouldn’t play so poorly in a title match that a TV announcer would offer a running commentary on his absence from the first set.

“Apathetic,’’ Jim Courier decided on CBS, after an especially lame first serve. “Not engaged at all mentally,’’ Courier said a few minutes later. “Certainly not committed to the task.’’

And so on.

By the time Novak found Center Court, he’d lost the first set, 6-0. He’d won all of 10 points. In the whole set. Anyone can do that.

“One of the worst starts of your career, I suppose,’’ was the first “question’’ posed to Djokovic, by an international media heathen.

Novak made no excuses. When you lose a set in 20 minutes, there is no need. “Yeah, terrible set,’’ he said. Djokovic said he never found his rhythm. He said Federer was terrific, which he was. Federer came into the interview room a few minutes later, and seconded his foe’s observations.

“Novak had a hard time finding his range on the serve and the baseline,’’ Federer said.

Possibly.

Just as likely, Djokovic had a hard time finding his motivation. This was the fourth week in a row he’d played, including the Olympics. He’d reached the finals here. He was pleased. “I really didn’t expect to get this far. It’s a great result,’’ Djokovic decided.

In that first set, the result was something less than great. Federer whapped forehands that Djokovic fielded like he was wielding a frying pan. That was when he reached them. “He’s kind of conceding, as opposed to fighting,’’ Courier noted. “Right now, he’s a shell out there.’’

Federer was very good, but given the resistance, it was hard to tell precisely how good. He didn’t lose his serve the whole week. He played with a relaxed fury, and a confidence that has soared since he won Wimbledon to reclaim the No. 1 world ranking that for so many years seemed his birthright.

“I didn’t have a letdown even after securing all my goals for myself,’’ Federer said.

Djokovic made a legitimate appearance in the second set. He’s a demonstrative guy, usually, yelling self-exhortations and offering fist pumps after especially good shots. He didn’t do any of that in the first set. As Federer explained, “It’s hard to fist pump if you make a great shot and it’s five-love against you. That’s a wasted emotion.

“He never got that opportunity to really go crazy. That’s to my credit.’’

Djokovic did rally in the second set. He looked like a different player. Reasons for that were as cosmic as reasons for his first-set no-show. “Novak did a good job staying with it,’’ Federer offered.

He still couldn’t break Federer’s serve. Nobody could, not all week. At 4-3, Djokovic screamed primally, but it wasn’t for a triumph. He missed a forehand, long. Unlike in the first set, Djokovic held his serve throughout the second set. After falling behind 3-0 in the tiebreak, he took a 4-3 lead with a gorgeous passing shot, followed by a fist pump.

Finally engaged, perhaps Djokovic could steal the second set and make the decisive third set compelling. He might have, had he been playing someone other than Federer, who comes to play all the time.

Federer won the tiebreak, 9-7, on a lasered forehand.

Djokovic is a great player. Federer is a great champion. Sunday’s final showed us the difference.

“Maybe playing four weeks in a row got to me mentally,’’ Djokovic decided. He was already looking forward to the U.S. Open, in two weeks. “It’s New York and we move on,’’ he said.